Saying Sorry
by Lightspeed Bubba
Summary: Things were looking up for Jaune Arc as of late. He'd stood up to his bully, his training was getting better, and his secret was safe. So when his former bully comes up to him asking for a chance at redemption, what's a forgiving guy like Jaune to do but give him a shot? After all, it's just a friendly, non-romantic dinner. What could possibly happen?


**A/N: I'm back! Here we go with some fluffy ArcChester at the behest of my Discord buddy Mogar. Enjoy.**

Jaune Arc had been having a better week than he'd ever had during his stay at Beacon Academy. Just a week ago, he'd stood up to his Cardin after he threatened his team and blackmailed him, on top of that he slayed his first Grimm solo, finally showing off the training he and Pyrrha had been doing. From there, everything felt like it was… easier. Training, classes, even dealing with Weiss was getting better. Sure, she still rejected him every time he asked but it stung less and less every time. It had become a game now. If he was honest with himself, Jaune wasn't sure what he'd do if she ever actually said yes.

It was that thought he was grappling with as he stared down at his hamburger and salad, something Pyrrha had kept insisting that he get, citing some nonsense that "proper warriors need proper nutrition." A shadow enveloped him, dragging him fro his thoughts. He turned to his right to see a mass of silver and gold. Further up, he spied deep indigo eyes and slicked back orange hair.

"Cardin?" All conversation at the lunch table ground to a halt and the tension thickened to near oatmeal proportions. The massive ginger rubbed the back of his head and looked around.

"Hey Jaune." His first instinct was to stare back down at his food and wait for the boy to leave. It had worked in the past, sort of. He did always end up leaving but it was typically after saying something demeaning or shoving the blond boy. But that was the old Jaune, the one who was afraid of Cardin, who couldn't stand up for himself. Now? Well, he'd at least look at him.

Baby steps

There was a chorus of growls to Jaune's left; he didn't need to look to know who it was. He loved his team and their sister team, they were his home away from home. People who had his back no matter what.

"I think it'd be best if you leave Cardin." Pyrrha. Her tone was dripping with acid, something Jaune hadn't ever really heard before. He'd told his team about what Cardin planned to do during the Forever Fall trip and his own subsequent actions, something that probably did little to foster good will.

Cardin nodded his head and flexed his hands. It was so… un-Cardin-like. There was no bravado or confidence. If Jaune didn't know better, he'd have said the coppertop boy was nervous.

"You're probably right Nikos, but I just gotta talk to Jaune first."

"Leave. Now." There was a giggle but it wasn't exactly tinged with normal joy. There was something… sinister behind it.

"No Pyrrha, let him stay. We can break his legs!" Cardin, even while being a pretty pale guy, had managed to get whiter. Nora had that effect on people. Jaune sighed and turned to his friends, shooting them a look. _I've got this guys, don't worry._ Their gazes softened, if only slightly, but their disdain was still very much present as were their coiled muscles. If Cardin came to their table to start something, he wasn't going to come out of it unscathed. The blond turned back to Cardin.

"What's up?" The boy fidgeted again, his eyes glancing back to his own table and team. Jaune followed to see the R, D, and L all gesturing to keep going. _What the heck are they doing?_ Cardin took a deep breath and started again.

"Can we talk in the hall?" Jaune crossed his arms. He was curious about the boy's intentions, not stupid.

"Why would I do that? You have an ambush sitting out there for me? Maybe some rapier wasps or a bucket of water on top of the door? Are you gonna throw a pie in my face or something? Maybe-" Cardin held up a hand.

"I get it; you don't have to keep going. I get it." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to… apologize." Jaune raised an eyebrow, passing a look to his team. They looked just as confused as he did. "I did some really messed up stuff to you. The least of which was blackmailing you, I sent you off in a locker into the Emerald Forest. I even nearly got us both killed by an Ursa in Forever Fall. I shoved you, pushed you, kicked and punched you."

He kept going but Jaune didn't hear him. The blond felt it all happen again, that fear of what was going to happen next, the pain when it did. Cardin had been the manifestation of every negative aspect of Jaune's life magnified tenfold. He felt every blow, every comment, every action, again. A shudder went through him as he realized Cardin was still speaking.

"I get it Cardin, you can stop now." The coppertop was mid-sentence but nodded.

"Yea, sorry. Well, I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry. I don't really know why I did what I did but that's not an excuse and you didn't deserve it." Jaune was stunned. The thought of Cardin owning up to everything he'd done wasn't something that ever crossed his mind. He assumed it would just fade away like he wanted it to. If he didn't acknowledge it, then it never happened, right?

He spared a look to Ruby, who sat across from him. She looked just as floored as he did and it didn't take much imagination to guess the rest of the two team's faces looked much the same.

"That's very… noble of you Cardin." All eyes turned to Weiss. "What? He came over here, admitted his mistakes, and apologized for it. He could've easily just ignored Jaune until graduation but he didn't. I'm not making excuse for him, make no mistake." She looked at Cardin. "You still did some absolutely disgraceful things."

"I know, alright!?" He snapped. Then he closed his eyes, flexing his hands and mumbling to himself. "I'm sorry; I'm trying to work on my… anger issues." Weiss nodded, turning her attention back to her salad. Jaune thought about what Weiss said. She wasn't wrong, Cardin was awful to him and he'd be well within his rights to decline the apology and tell him to leave him alone. But that wasn't who he was.

"I'm not really sure what to say Cardin, I appreciate you coming over here to try and fix this." The coppertop shook his head.

"That's not it though, I wanted to try and make it up to you. At least a little." Jaune raised an eyebrow again. Then he turned to his friends, he could feel Pyrrha's intensity at his side. Nora looked like she didn't have a care in the world but Jaune knew the girl well enough to know she was listening. Ren eyed the boy carefully, probably still expecting him to do something. Blake and Yang were… on edge, to say the least. Weiss was deeply invested in her lunch and Ruby kept passing glances between Cardin and Jaune.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" The massive boy rubbed the back of his head again, casting his eyes downward.

"That's kinda why I wanted to talk to you alone…" _What the heck does that mean?_

"What do you mean?" He passed a look back to his teammates before groaning.

"You see, my sister and her husband own a restaurant in Vale called "Luna's."

"Wait a second, your sister owns Luna's?" Everyone, save Nora, turned to Yang. Cardin nodded.

"Yep, she married Miles a few years back and they bought the place together. She cooks, he runs the business side." Yang was beside herself.

"Well great, now I can't go back there. Can't believe she's related to a jerk like you. Their food is so good too!" She descended into a jumble of mumbles and curses. Jaune looked back to Cardin, his hands were flexing again and he'd stopped himself mid-word, leaving him looking like a fish on dry land. He took a breath, letting his hands go limp.

"Anyway, I asked a favor and she said they'd close a bit early and we could have the whole place to ourselves for one meal. All on me." _Wait… what? Is Cardin asking me… on a date!? No way, there's no way. He hates me, or at least, hated me._ Underneath all of the shock, there was something else, like a knot forming in his stomach. He rationalized that the nervousness was out of fear. What was Cardin going to do if he agreed? What about if he said no?

"Wait a second, are you asking him on a date!?" Jaune's partner echoed his thoughts. Based on her tone, she was _not_ happy with it either. The large boy sputtered.

"What? No, no way. This is definitely not a date. What would give you that idea?" He scoffed. "No way, this is just two guys, having dinner together as an apology from one to the other." Blake spoke.

"Sure sounds like a date to me." Cardin's face reddened.

"Well it's not, so butt out!" Yang was on her feet in an instant.

"Don't talk to my partner like that you jackass!" Cardin stepped forward as Ruby hopped up next.

"Then tell your partner to mind her own damn business!"

"Yang, stop!" _This is going to get bad._ Cardin's armor took a on a black hue and Jaune saw his partner's hand twitch. He placed his own on top of it and shook his head. The redhead's cheeks took on a new shade of pink. The blond boy stood, placing a hand on Cardin's chest and holding his other out in Yang's direction.

"Both of you knock it off!" Yang glared at him before taking her seat and resuming her meal. Cardin let out a sigh and Jaune pulled his hand back. "Maybe we should talk in the hall." The coppertop nodded and the two of them stepped into the hall. Not before Jaune flashed a look over his shoulder, holding up his Scroll. Pyrrha still looked flustered but nodded, as did Ren. Nora was still very intent on her meal.

The hallway was quiet and Jaune was pleasantly surprised to not find any traps or anything of the sort. Maybe Cardin was serious after all…

"I'm sorry about all that. I'm still trying to get a grip on my temper." Jaune inclined his head.

"I get it. Sooooooo…., you were serious about your offer? Dinner, just the two of us, at a restaurant. And it's not a date?" Cardin covered his face with his hands and groaned.

"I know how it sounds, I really do but I don't know what else I can offer you. I can't tutor you since you're getting better grades than I am already. I assume Nikos is still training with you so I can't help you there. I don't have much money so dinner is the best I can do." He sighed. "If you don't want to, I get it. I wouldn't blame you if you said you never wanted to speak to me again but I'd really like just one chance to at least try and atone for what I did."

Jaune thought about it for a bit. On the one hand, he'd planned to stay away from Cardin for as long as he could. Life would be easier if they just didn't acknowledge it and moved on with their lives. On the other, was getting one meal really that big of a deal? What could it hurt?

"Alright." The larger boy's face lit up.

"Really!?" Jaune sighed and nodded.

"Yea, what could it hurt right?" Cardin clapped him on the shoulder.

"You won't regret it, I promise." He took out his Scroll. "Give me your number so I can text you the address." The blond nodded, taking out his own. A second later, Jaune received a text with the location. "Meet me there at eight o'clock, tomorrow night, alright?" Another nod. "Thanks Jaune, I really appreciate it. I think I can really make a change in my life and this is great starting point." With that, he was off, leaving the blond alone in the hall.

 _I guess I have a date tomorrow night._ He mentally slapped himself. _No, it's not a date, Cardin even said so! This is in no way a date. I don't want it to be a date, right?_

Jaune made his way back into the lunchroom, fully aware that five sets of eyes were boring into him like the groundhogs that his dad used to chase around back in Ansel. He felt warmer, his hand tugging at the neckline of his hoodie. They weren't going to be happy with him; he knew they didn't want him to agree. _Maybe I should text Cardin and cancel… It's only been a few minutes; I wouldn't be ruining any plans or anything dropping out this early, right?_

With a small head shake, he countered. _But doesn't everyone deserve a chance to prove themselves?_ His feet took him to his chair and he eased down into it. Lunch looked far less appetizing now as his stomach was in knots. His eyes were glued to the burger as Yang spoke.

"Well, are you going on a date with tall, red, and stupid?"

"It's not a date Yang, we're just getting dinner."

"So you did agree." Jaune began to wring his hands.

"Yes?" A very strong hand found his shoulder.

"You have no reason to accept his apology Jaune. Did he threaten to hurt you?" The blond shook his head as his partner leaned in closer, whispering. "Did he threaten to go to Headmaster Ozpin?" Another head shake. "Then why did you agree to go out with him?" His head whipped around.

"I am _not_ going out with him!" Immediately, the lunchroom fell into an eerie silence. Jaune turned a deep red and ducked down. His voice came out much quieter this time "Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?" He looked around and the table had opted for joining Nora and Weiss by giving their attention back to their food. Ren would be the one to break the tense silence a minute later.

"Would you like us to come with you?" Nora looked up from her food, mouth half stuffed as she spoke. All eyes shifted to the resident Nora Translator, who sighed. "No Nora, not like a double date." She slumped down a bit but a hand on the shoulder from Pyrrha as well as a look seemed to help. Ren really was clueless about his partner. He was silently thankful that he wasn't that oblivious.

"I'll be fine Ren. I doubt Cardin would go to all this trouble to get me to go into the city for a stupid prank. He sounded like he actually wants to make amends." His brother in arms only nodded and Jaune began to dig back into his lunch, effectively ending the conversation.

The rest of the afternoon would pass without incident, thankfully. The next day, Jaune woke up at his usual time of six o'clock for the morning workout routine that Pyrrha had given him. He was convinced that waking up this early was a felony but his partner had assured him it was not and the training began. He felt a million times better than he did at the start of the semester and he knew his strength, stamina, and speed had improved greatly. After a quick shower and breakfast, it was time for his daily sparring session with Pyrrha. Naturally, he lost but he managed to land one or two significant strikes. His partner gave him another speech about his it's about making progress, not being perfect. They were nice on occasion but he had to admit, she was starting to sound like a cliché machine.

These all served to keep his nerves under wraps as they tried to break free. On more than one occasion he thought about cancelling his not-date but something stopped him every time. It would be running away from his problems, not being able to face his past down when it was trying to grow. He had to do this, not just for Cardin, but for himself. More hours would pass and his attempts to distract himself were less than fruitful. Ren had set the day aside for meditation and Nora had joined him. Well, she didn't meditate per se, more that she tested Ren's ability to do so with someone trying to break his concentration every fifteen minutes.

He'd already trained with Pyrrha, who decided to study and work on the report that would be due on Monday. Jaune made a mental note to do that Sunday evening. Eventually, he joined Ruby at the Forge to help her with some weapon maintenance. Translation; Jaune was her gopher. He didn't mind too much though, Crocea Mors needed very little, if any so helping Ruby was a decent way to pass the time.

Time, like all things, did pass and the moment of truth was upon him. Jaune had decided to take a second shower before slipping into his clothes for the evening. With the weather being as cool as it was, he opted for his typical jeans/hoodie combo, sans chest plate and gloves. Checking his Scroll, it told him that it was seven o'clock. _Plenty of time._

"Ready for your big date, Fearless Leader?" He didn't need to look at Nora to know that she was grinning ear to ear.

"It's not a date and you know it." She rolled out of bed, tossing her headphones to the side. An eyebrow arched, she began to look him over. He peered down, looking for any small imperfections. When he found none, his gaze found the ginger's.

"What? Am I under dressed?" She stared at him for a few seconds more before shrugging.

"You look fine to me Jaune. Go and knock 'em dead!" She slammed a palm into his shoulder, causing his Aura to flare up.

"Thanks Nora…" He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. He thought about doing something with it but decided against it using the logic that you worried about your hair if it was a date, which this definitely was not. Nope, not even a little.

As he made his way to the door, Pyrrha blocked his path.

"I want you to be careful tonight Jaune, alright?" The blond rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Yes Mom." Her cheeks became lightly dusted with blush as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be fine Pyrrha; I'll text you when I get into the city and when I'm going to leave, OK?" She nodded and he brought her in for a tight hug. Her back muscles were absurdly tight; it felt like hugging a coiled spring.

"Promise me you'll be safe?" He let out a small sigh but replied.

"You have my word that I'll be safe tonight." This seemed to satisfy the redhead and he felt her relax. Jaune rubbed her back gently and she squeezed him a bit tighter. Her head rested on his shoulder and he maneuvered his mouth so the scarlet mane remained free of his mouth. He started to pull away. "I gotta go Pyr, don't wanna be late." She flew back from his arms, cheeks the same color as her hair.

"I'm sorry!" Jaune let out a light laugh and turned.

"Alright guys, I'll be back in a few hours." He opened the door and heard from behind.

"Be sure to use protection." _Ren…_ Which was followed by Nora.

"They grow up so fast." The ginger accompanied her words with fake sniffles. Jaune left hastily before they could keep going. _It's not a date! He's just buying me dinner as a way of saying sorry. That's all. That's not even close to a date._ He spent his time walking to the Bullhead airstrip trying to convince himself.

By some small miracle, Jaune managed to avoid throwing up on the ride into Vale. It certainly wasn't because he wasn't nervous, since he was only a hop, skip, and a jump from being a full tilt wreck. He was hyper focused on the not-date. The inane thought of all of this being some elaborate prank that Cardin set up was still ingrained in the back of his mind. With a shake of his head, he hopped from the Bullhead, nodding his thanks to the Pilot.

/-/

It was a chilly night in Vale, the sun had set and the streetlights dueled with the front window lights of the shops. People young and old milled about the area, absorbed in conversations and debates. Cars and trucks flew by on his left, accompanied by horns and shouts. Just another night in the city. Jaune drew his Scroll, shot Pyrrha a text letting her know he got to town safely, and checked the time. _7:40. I've still got time but being early isn't a bad thing, right?_ He took a breath and shoved his hands into his pockets as he strode to Luna's.

A five minute walk turned into a fifteen minute one when the blond took a several wrong turns and was forced to ask for directions. Still, he made it there just as people were being ushered out by someone. It was a man; he was on the taller side and lean. A mess of dark brown hair that matched his eyes. He wore a thin brown beard and goatee and his lips were curled into a small smile. His black red and yellow flannel was wrinkled and half tucked into his faded jeans.

"Sorry folks, gotta close up a bit early tonight." A groan came from the man and woman he'd been escorting.

"Aww come on Miles, why?" The man shrugged.

"Brother-in-law's got a date or something going on, called in a favor with Izzy." Another groan from the man as they exited.

"Hope he gets some at least…" The woman smacked her partner's arm.

"Oh stop it you." She turned back to Miles. "Thanks again, the food was amazing as usual. Give Izzy our best." He nodded and waved as they made their way in the opposite direction of Jaune. His cheeks had darkened and his fists clenched. _Did Cardin tell his brother-in-law this was a date!?_ As the thoughts coursed through his mind, Miles turned to the blond.

"You Jaune? Nice to meet you." He peeked at his watch. "Right on time too. Well, come on in." He held the door open as Jaune registered what had been said. _I should just leave right now. Go back to Beacon and call it a night. I don't want to go on a date with Cardin, I don't even like guys! ... Right?_ His feet carried him inside.

It was a simple establishment, reds and silvers made up the primary colors. A woman stood behind the countertop just inside the entrance. She was really putting some elbow grease into whatever she was scrubbing; beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She gave him a big smile as he walked in and all of his thoughts about leaving melted away. Immediately, he felt welcome and at home. How did she even do that?

She wasn't a tall woman; by Jaune's estimate she was barely taller than Nora. Copper curls would've fallen down her back had they not been wrapped up in a plastic netting of sorts. Her smile was warm and reached her indigo eyes.

"Jaune Arc?" He nodded dumbly. Then the woman nearly leapt from behind the counter. "It's so nice to finally meet you! Cardie's told me so much about you!" _Cardie?_ She took his hand and shook it. Her grip was impressive considering she probably didn't have her Aura unlocked. "Oh, where are my manners. I'm Isabelle Luna but please, call me Izzy." She released his hand and the man at Jaune's side took it. "This is my husband Miles." The blond nodded as Miles extended a hand.

"I'm Jaune." He took the hand and gave it a squeeze. The man laughed.

"Yea, Cardin talks about you a lot." Jaune let his hand fall and raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly does he say?" Izzy smiled and shook her head.

"He'll just have to tell you himself." She pointed over to the far side of the room. "He's dining room over there waiting. Go and take a seat, I'll be over in just a bit to get your drinks and give you a menu." Jaune nodded slowly but let his feet carry him into the dining hall.

It was a decently sized room with wooden tables nestled in between booths and chairs. Small lights hung from the ceiling over them providing the only light in the room. In the middle of it all, sat Cardin. His hands were tapping along the table and he kept looking around the room. When Jaune walked in, Cardin's eyes immediately fell to him and he popped from his seat.

"You came!" Jaune laughed awkwardly, running a hand through his hair.

"Yep." His hand found his pocket and he bounced on his feet. A second later, Cardin gestured to the seat across from him.

"Have a seat." The words hit the blond and he reached out to catch himself on a nearby chair. Cardin raised an eyebrow and Jaune waved him off, taking the seat across from him. "I really appreciate you coming. I promise, this is going to be the best food you've ever had!" The blond let out another awkward laugh.

"I hope you're right, I'm starving." He really wasn't but you're supposed to say you're hungry when you go out for dinner, right? Silence weighed heavily upon them like an Ursa. They were still waiting for their menus and Jaune opted for glancing around the room and whistling. Just as he ran out of things to stare at, Cardin spoke.

"Sooooooo… you look nice tonight." _I look nice? That's not something you say for a casual dinner, was it? Are you supposed to give compliments like that? What is date (not a date) etiquette!?_

The coppertop had paled, as if he regretted his choice of words as soon as they'd left his lips.

"Um, thank… you?" He only now realized how much better dressed Cardin was then himself. He wore a perfectly unblemished wine colored button up shirt that clung to his chest like a second skin. His hair was perfectly combed back and, if the slight redness along his cheeks and chin were to be believed, he'd shaved. Jaune inhaled deeply and smelled… cologne? _Kinda weird to shave and put on cologne before a friendly dinner. Unless…_

Mentally he began to kick himself. _This isn't a friendly dinner at all! The shaving, the nice shirt, the empty restaurant, the complement, his nervousness when he asked me, even the cologne! They were all dead giveaways. How did I not see it!?_ His breathing felt strained and sweat began to pour down his face. _I'm on a date. With Cardin Winchester._

Nerves exploded through him but not the ones he thought would. Of course he was nervous; it was his first date after all. Still, his company should've been cause for concern but, oddly enough, it wasn't. _I have to ask; maybe this is all a misunderstanding! Yea, that's it. I don't even like guys. Heck, I'm still going after Weiss!_ Cardin's eyes were locked to him, a mask of concern on his face.

"Jaune, are you OK? Do you need some water? I'll go get us a couple of waters." Just like that, he was out of his seat and out of the room. Jaune leaned back in his chair, hand on his forehead. _What do I do if he says yes? Do I get up and leave? Is it more awkward to stay?_ Cardin returned, grinding his train of thought to a halt at the station. "Here you go; this should help you out a bit. Sorry about that, it gets a bit warm with the kitchen and all the lights." He laughed awkwardly, wiping his damp brow.

The blond took the drink with a thankful nod, taking a long swig. The glass was empty just a few seconds later.

"Cardin, can I ask you something?" The copper top leaned forward, his hands wringing.

"Sure. What's up?" Jaune took a deep breath. _Just say it and find out already!_

"Cardin, is this a date?" The boy went whiter than a Weiss's hair in a snowstorm.

"Uh… well… You see…" He stammered on for what felt like forever.

"Cardin please. Just tell me." The boy's head fell to the table and he mumbled. "What was that?" His head picked back up, his cheeks a deep scarlet.

"Would you hate me if I said yes?" Jaune felt his heart skip a beat. He was on a date. Not with just anyone either no, Jaune Arc was on a date with the boy who bullied him for weeks, blackmailed him, and nearly got both of them killed in the Forever Fall Forest. And he was OK with that. He couldn't explain it but in this time, at this moment, he didn't care about the past.

"I… I… don't know." The blond watched as Cardin's hand slammed into his knee.

"Stupid stupid stupid stupid!" His voice was catching in his throat. "I told Izzy and Russ this wouldn't work. Why didn't I listen?" _Is he… crying?_ His hand met his knee a few more times, his Aura flaring. _Oh gods, what do I do? I don't know how to console a sad/angry boy! I still don't even know I want this to be a date!_ The back of his mind called out to him.

 _Yes you do._

 _I do?_

 _Yes._

 _But why?_ He awaited some profound answer about giving someone a second chance.

That people can change and maybe Cardin just doesn't know how to show his feelings. Maybe Jaune had just misunderstood the boy (yes right). But he got none of that. Instead he heard.

 _He's cute._

 _What._ He felt his inner mind shrug.

 _Yea he was a dick to us but he said he's sorry and seems like he means it. Plus he's easy on the eyes._

 _But I'm not gay!_

 _You can like boys and not be gay, you know that right?_ He'd never really thought about it before. He'd been so concerned with being a Huntsman, training, studying, and trying not to be exposed that Jaune never really thought about his own sexuality. For a moment, Jaune studied the boy in front of him

He was tall and heavily muscled but not overly so. He'd been up close and personal with Cardin enough times, typically when he was getting his ass kicked, that he knew just how powerful the CRDL Leaders was. He also had a nice a strong jawline and a smile that could be very pleasing when accompanied with the dimple on his right cheek. His hair looked soft to the touch and those indigo eyes were downright captivating. It all snapped together in a second.

 _Oh my gods I like Cardin. At least a little._

"Cardin?" The boy shook his head dismissively, his eyes still cast downwards.

"You don't have to say it Jaune. I know alright? You don't like guys and even if you did, you wouldn't like me." He pushed himself to his feet, sniffled, and began to walk away. "I'm sorry."

The blond reached out, grabbing a hold of his sleeve.

"Cardin wait." The boy stopped in his tracks. "Please, sit down." He did and Jaune sighed. "I don't really know what to say but I do know that I don't hate you for doing this. I wouldn't have agreed to this if you asked me directly." Cardin slumped in his chair. "However," He perked up. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to stay." The larger boy looked up, wiping his eyes.

"Really?" Jaune nodded.

"Yea. Look, I don't know how I feel about you. On the one hand, I'm scared of you and hate you. I want to stay as far away from you as I can." Cardin deflated again. "On the other though, you seemed like you really wanted to make a change. And I think you deserve a bit of the benefit of the doubt. So I'll stay. At least for dinner, after tonight I make no promises." The larger boy had looked up, a smile on his face.

"I appreciate it Jaune, I really do. I swear you won't regret it." The blond nodded and relaxed a bit in his chair.

"Alrighty then, I don't know about you but I am starving." He let out a laugh that Cardin shared in. The larger boy nodded and called out.

"We're ready for ya Izzy!"

/-/

After hammering out the details about what exactly they were doing that night, conversation flowed much smoother when they stumbled upon a topic that they could agree on; Doctor Oobleck needed to switch to decaf or email them the notes. It set off a domino effect as the bounced from tale to tale, memory to memory.

This was greatly helped by the excellent food and service. Izzy was never away for more than ten minutes, always grabbing a refill and checking to make sure they were alright. Miles even stopped by, offering the boys a beer. They had accepted it before clinking glasses, taking a swig, and nearly throwing it all back up. Miles had a laugh but the boys decided to stick with sodas instead.

Sadly, time still moved and their date had to come to an end. They said their goodbyes to Izzy and Miles before making their way to the airstrip. Jaune sent another text to Pyrrha letting him know he was on his way home. He and Cardin made small talk on the way to the Bullhead and on the ride back. Though when in the air, Cardin did most of the talking as Jaune was busy trying to not throw up his meal. It wasn't long before they reached Beacon ground again and they stepped off.

"You mind if I walk you back to your dorm?" Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Really Cardin? We're on campus, no one's gonna jump out and get me here." He said with a laugh. Cardin shrugged his shoulders.

"Never know when a bully might try and take advantage of your solitude." The large boy dropped into a crouch, circling Jaune. "Or when a Grimm managed to sneak its way into Beacon. I gotta protect my date ya know." The blond sighed and shook his head, a smile on his face.

"Well I can't argue with that." Cardin held out his arm and Jaune took it. "Such a gentleman." The larger boy let out a bark of a laugh. The walk was mostly in silence, letting the various sounds of nature and nightlife at Beacon provide the soundtrack. It was nice. Quiet. Peaceful.

A few minutes later and they were at the door of Team JNPR.

"Well, this is your stop." Jaune took out his Scroll and nodded.

"Yep." The two had stepped back from each other and were now looking every direction but at each other. "Soooooo… I had fun tonight." Cardin nodded.

"Me too." Jaune pointed his thumb behind him.

"Guess I should go inside." The coppertop nodded.

"Yea…." Jaune held out a hand.

"Thank you for tonight." Cardin stared at the limb for a moment before clamping his much larger paw over the blond's. He held it there for a second, his hand running over Jaune's knuckles. _His skin's soft…_

In a motion fast enough to make Ruby proud, Cardin had pulled Jaune against him and captured the blond's lips with his own.

Jaune was stunned; his eyes wide open as millions of thoughts ran through his head. _Oh my gods he's kissing me. Do I kiss back? How do I even do that? Am I really having my first kiss with Cardin? Did I want to kiss him? Why are his lips so soft? Did he have garlic in his meal?_

It was over in a second and the larger boy pulled away, his face a deep scarlet. His hands were shaking as he cleared his throat.

"Well… um. I'm glad you had fun tonight. Maybe we can do that again someti-" Jaune dragged the boy back by his collar, claiming his lips. _If he thinks he can get away with kissing me when I'm not ready, he's got another thing coming._ Jaune's tongue surged forth, meeting with Cardin's. The two dueled for supremacy for what could've been seconds or hours, at this point Jaune wasn't sure. His free hand found Cardin's cheek, feeling the light patches of places the boy missed shaving. He was so focused on kissing; he barely heard the click of a door opening behind him. What the blond did hear however, was.

"Holy shit." Followed by the thud of someone hitting the ground. Jaune pulled away immediately, his cheek as dark as Cardin's. He turned to see Nora standing in the doorway, wide-eyed and slack jawed. Behind the ginger lay an unmoving Pyrrha. Ren sat down next to her, sliding a pillow under her head. The pink eyed boy sighed and shook his head.

"I told you not to open the door Nora."

 **A/N: That was surprisingly fun to right. I like to think everything was in character but let me know if you think I messed up along the way. Actually, tell me all of your thoughts in a review. Maybe share it with a friend if you're feeling saucy. Either way, may Fortune favor you all.**


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